MUHIMBILI National Hospital-Mloganzila has become the first public hospital in the country to introduce a new service for treating skin diseases using advanced laser technology.
MNH-Mloganzila Deputy Executive Director, Dr Julieth Magandi said this during a press briefing on the official launch of the service held at the hospital on Wednesday.
"We thank our colleagues from South Korea for helping us to provide training on how to use laser technology to treat various skin diseases.
Now our specialists are fully capable of providing these services," added Dr Magandi.
Dr Magandi further mentioned that the hospital has specialists who are highly skilled in dermatology, along with modern medical equipment available at the facility, which ensures efficiency in service delivery.
She said the diseases treatable with laser include the removal of acne scars, skin diseases and tattoo removal because of the availability of modern types of equipment and professional dermatology doctors.
On his part, Dermatologist Dr Andrew Foi stated that the service can help to treat skin diseases resistant to conventional treatments and improve skin appearance.
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Dr Foi explained that laser treatment involves treating skin conditions including vitiligo, eczema, skin cancer, tattoo removal, scars, stretch marks on various body parts and facial hair (Phototherapy).
"Before introducing this treatment, most of the patients were going abroad for the treatments which required them a lot of money to access the service, but to date the service is available here with the support of our Korean partners," said Dr Foi.
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He said that before the introduction of the treatment, some tattoos were removed through operations and it was only for small ones because the big ones were complicated to remove, but today the hospital is capable of removing all types of tattoos.
Dr Foi said examples of light phototherapy treatment for diseases (not cosmetic purposes) include conditions like vitiligo, psoriasis and severe eczema.
He said, "traditionally, these conditions were treated with topical or oral medications, which often proved ineffective, leading to increased itching and skin damage."
Dr Foi added that when laser treatment was introduced, patients with chronic skin diseases received all standard treatments first, including chemotherapy and medications, then they gradually transitioned to laser therapy, as this treatment is not radiation but rather light amplification and takes time.
